My son, Charles, was born in Feb. 2000, with a clubfoot. He was a breach baby and doctors said that it could have contributed to his condition. No treatment was offered at our local hospital and by the time we were referred Charles was 2 months old. The surgeon told us that it was necessary to have a few operations but the thought of handing my baby over sure as hell scared the life out of me. I searched the Internet day and night and learnt about the Ponsetti method, the only orthopaedic surgeon who was practicing this method was at the Royal Hospital in Sunderland. I contacted the doctor who arranged for me to come and see him a round trip of 300 miles. He said that treatment should have started straight away and as Charles was now 3 months old we just had to try.

Every week I drove up and down the motorway, sometimes Charles would scream all the way back as he hated the casts which were from the top of his little leg to his toes, we continued this treatment for 7 weeks but because of the delay in getting things started the bones in his little feet were already hardening. I could not bare to see him in so much distress so we decided to have the operation.

Charles had his surgery at 12 months at the Sheffield Children's Hospital, under orthopaedic surgeon Mr Flowers. this man can work miracles, 3 hours later and in a cast Charles foot was around the right way, he still had a cast on and two pins in the foot, these were changed days later for a wound clean.

When the cast came off his foot was a weepy mess but he was made a splint and soon the wound heeled and Charles wore the splint for 6 months. Charles is now five years old. On close inspection you can see the scar that is about 6 inches, he runs jumps and climbs as well as the other boys although his leg is smaller in size than the other and he has odd size feet 11/12. Charles will never be able to stand on the toes of the repaired foot, but I am sure he doesn't want to be a ballet dancer like his sister.

Good luck to all you other parents out there who are going through this at the moment, when your child takes their first steps it will so be worth all the pain.

Sharriee (Charles's Mum)